Winding apparatus



May 16, 1933.

c. E. TRAXEL WINDING APPARATUS Filed June 15, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Char/es E. Faxe/ BY will!" WW; a gimns May 16, 1933.

C. E. TRAXEL WINDING APPARATUS Filed June 15, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 gnu W M "lb a Q \F n Q N R INVENTOR C/7ar/es E. 77axe/ ORNEYS y 1933- c. E. TRAXEL 1,908,872

WINDING APPARATUS Filed June 15, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Svwemtoz Char/2s E. Waxe/ @351 6 8 QMQWWS 6,, a M, l/Mu 7* WM Patented May 16, 1933 4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE oHAnLEs E. 'I'RAXEL, or ROME, NEW YORK, AssIGNon T GENERAL CABLE CORPORA- TIoN, or NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION or NEW JERSEY WINDING APPARATUS Application filed June. 15,

This invention relates to winding apparatus and has for an object the provisionof apparatus for applying a sensitive tension on a strand. In its broad aspects the invention is applicableto winding, unwinding, take-up or let-off apparatus, but inasmuch as its present intended use relates principally to winding apparatus, it will be described in this connection for purposes of illustration. It is to be understood, however, that where the term winding apparatus is used herein it embraces all the related types of ap paratus.

The invention has among its further objects the provision of apparatus which will handle fine strands without breaking them; which will compensate for increased windingradius when winding strands 1n superposed layers or upon a core of increasing diameter in order to maintain a substantially uniform tension on the strand; which may be adjusted as to tension so as to accommodate strands of different size or strength; which will automatically stop when the strand breaks; which will provide individual or collective adjustment of the tension for a plurality of winding units; and which in other respects and in constructional features will constitute an improvement in the art.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, where in: r

Figure 1 is a vertical section showing several winding units, the section for each unit being taken on the line'l1 of Figure 2;

Figure 2 is an axial vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken approximately on the line it-- 1 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings and in particular to Figure 2, there is provided a spindle 10 for mounting the spool S on whichthe strand of material is to be wound, the spindle having springs 11 set'into longitudinal slots for frictionally engaging the interior of the spool. At one end the springs may be held between a reduced portion of the spindle and 1929. Serial No. 371,134.

a surrounding band 12. The band may be retained on the spindle by a screw 13. r I The spindle is rotatably mounted in a sleeve 15, roller bearings 16 being interposed between the spindle and the sleeve. There are two'sets of these bearings fitting within counterbores at either end of the sleeve and spaced apart by a tube 17. The ball-cage of the bearing at the rear end of the sleeve 15 is retained therein by a flanged head 18 threaded into the sleeve. The bearingsare adapted to take thrust of the a spindle and for this purpose a retaining nut 19 is provided on the rear end of the spindle to engage the hearing at that end. Thrust of the spindle in the other direction is taken by a. rotor disc 20 fitting between the front. bearing and a shoulder 21 on the spindle, the disc being rigidly secured to the spindle.

The sleeve 15 is secured to a casing generally designated by the numeral 25 (see also Figure 3) by circumferentially spaced webs The spindle may be driven by any suitable motive means acting upon the disc 20 se cured to the spindle. Preferably the spindle is driven by a fluid actuated power device of the turbine type. A light expansible fluid such as air gives best results as it produces only small impact on the turbine blades. This type of drive is particularly adaptedto the present purposes of winding strands of limited tensile strength (the machine illustrated is designed particularly for winding copper wire of fine sizes) because it drives in yielding fashion but withoutexerting sufficient positive force to break the strand. 3 v

To illustrate the application of the Winding apparatus a portion of a strand process ing machine P is shown. This machine has a positively driven capstan 27 which may either pay out or reel in the strand at a given rate. In any case the present winding device is designed to keep the strand taut at any speed of the capstan.

3 and 4 comprises an annular series of blades 30 securedto the face of the disc 20 near its periphery, inlet ports 31 between the webs 26 supporting the sleeve 15, and an outlet port 32. As best shown in Figure 2 the inlet ports connect with a chamber formed by a supply chest 33 and the exhaust port connects with a chamber formed by a discharge muffler 3st.

Valve means is provided for regulating the supply of fluid to the blades of the turbine. In Figure 2 this valve means is seen to comprise a conical seat 36 fixed to the front end of sleeve and a valvering 37 fitting within a hub 38 formed on the rear wall of the casing 25.

The ring 37 is axially slidable relative to the seat 36 and is provided with a plurality of radial operating pins 39 guided within axially aligned slots 40 formed in thehub 38; 'Tl1e pins 39 extend outwardly beyond the hub 38 where they arereceived within axially inclined grooves 41 formed on the interior of the axial flange of an operating ring 42. The ring is rotatably mounted on the hub 38 and when rotated causes the valve ring 37 to move axially because of the combin'ed action of, the inclined grooves 41 and a the axial: grooves 40 upon the pins 39..

any appropriate means.

The operating ring 12 may be actuated by In the preferred means illustrated, the ring 42 is formed with a plurality of peripheral recesses 4A which receive operating fingers a5 extending from the rear annular flange 46 of an adjusting ring 47 having a close rotatable fit within the front wall of the casing 25.

Referring to Figure 1, the adjusting ring is retained in position by discs as held by screws 49 threaded into the casing, the pressure exerted upon the ring by the discs not being suflicient'to prevent its rotation. The adjusting ring isprovided on its'outer edge with gear teeth 50 operated by a worm 51 formed on a sleeve 52. The'sleeve i'svrotatably supported on a shaft 53 which in turn is supported by brackets 54. attached to the casing. The sleeve may be turned by the operator by a knurled portion 55 to set the valve of anyone unit individually. A set scr-ew 56 holds the sleeve in set position on the shaft.

The sleeves are retained. in proper axial, position on the shaft when the set screws 56' are loosened, by collars 57 pinned to the shaft at the ends of the sleeves. ing' devices are normally operated in gangs comprising a plurality of aligned units. Means is provided for collectively adjusting the valves of all units of a gang simultaneously. For this purpose the shaft 53 is axially slidable in the brackets 5st and at one end carries a grooved collar 7 5 fixed thereto, which collar cooperates with a hand lever 76 to set the shaft in various positions. The shaft may also be rotated if desired to secure further adjustment but the shaft is so The wind mounted and connected that the valve will not have unauthorized movement.

So long as the strand being wound upon the spool is attached to the processing machine the speed of the turbine remains within safe limits but if the strand breaks the turbine will race and cause damage so it is desirable to provide means for stopping it when it exceeds a predetermined speed. A centrifugal braking device is here employed.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the adjusting ring 47 is provided with an integral brake drum 58 and within this drum there is disposed abrake band..59 including a disc portion 60 and drag springs 61. The springs 61 are attached at one end 62 to the brake band as by welding or soldering and at the other end overlie apertures 63 formed in the band."

lVithin the-brake band'59 a cam disc 65 is loosely mounted on .a shoulder 66 of the disc 20. The periphery of the cam disc is formed with abutments 67 and cam surfaces 68 of increasing diameter away from the abutments. Cam roller weights 69 rest upon the cam surfaces 68 and extend through the apertures 63 into contact with the free ends of the drag springs 61. The disc portion of the brake band and the cam disc are retained upon the rotor disc 20 by a cover plate 7 0 secured to the rotor disc by screws 71, the plate, however, leaving the brake band and cam disc free to rotate relative to the rotor and relative to each other. 1

The cam disc is frictionally constrained to rotate with the rotor by a coil spring 72 and cooperating friction cups 73 disposed in sockets formed in the inner face of thedisc, the springs pressing'the disc into frictional engagement with the cover plate 70. The

brake band isalso frictionally constrained to rotate with the rotor by lea-f. springs 74: disposed in recesses formed in the inner face of the cover plate for pressing'the disc portion of the brake band against the outer face of the cam disc.

At normal operating speeds the brake band and cam disc together with related parts rotate anti-clockwise with'the rotor, the rollers 69 resting against theabutments 67. If the strand breaksthe rotor will soon acquire a speed in excess of the highest permissible operating speed as fixed by the strength of the springs 61 and the mass of the roller weights 69. This causes the roller weights to fly outward underthe action of centrifugal force to press the free ends of the drag springs against the interior surface of the brake drum 58. This causes the brake bandto be slowed up in rotation with respect to the cam disc 65, whereupon the rollers roll up the cam surfaces 68 to lock the brake band to'the brake drum. j

Injury to'the mechanism by this sudden stoppage of the brake'band and cam disc is avoided by the use of the friction springs described which allow the rotor to turn until stopped by frictional resistance produced by the springs.

To start the spindle again it is only neces sary to turn it a short distance backward by hand to move the rollers back down the cam surfaces against the abutments.

In addition to the throttle valve 36 a pressure reducing valve 77 is placed in the branch pipe 78 between the supply chest 33 of each unit and the main 7 9. This reducing valve is adjustable by a screw 80.

By the provision of the throttle valve and reducing valve a wide range of usefulness is given the winding device in its selected held of employment.

F or example, for certain kinds of strands (more particularly very small or weak strands) it is desirable to have a uniform tension regardless of the increasing or decreasing elfectiveradius on which the strand is being wound (empty or full spool conditions, it may be). Since the strand is assumed for any particular case to have a uniform linear speed from or toward the processing machine, the spool shaft and hence the turbine rotor must have a greater rotational speed and smaller torque when the winding radius is small and a smaller rotational speed and greater torque when the winding radius is large.

It is known that in general the torque of a fluid turbine is smaller when the rotor speed is great and greater when the rotor speed is small. Further, it is known that with a given fluid supply pressure the fluid velocity over the vanes will be substantially constant for any opening of a throttle valve where there is free flow, as here. Therefore by adjusting the reducing valve to establish certain pressure in the supply chest depending on the linear speed of the strand, it is possible to compensate practically for the greater or smaller winding radii and realize a substantially uniform tension on the strand. To adapt the device to the strand tension required, the throttle valve may be opened or closed but, as stated, this will not materially affect the radius-torque relationship.

For other strand speeds the reducing valve may be set for other pressures to correspond.

If, however, the strands being wound are less delicate and greater efliciency is desired (it will be evident that reducing the fluid pressure by the reducing valve entails a loss of efficiency) the full pressure of the fluid may be employed, or a pressure and velocity so great that the torque does not compensate for changing winding radii. There is now produced a substantially constant torque condition as against the constant tension condition previously discussed.

It will thus be seen that the invention provides a device peculiarly adapted to the problems of strand winding (or'unwinding, etc.) and a device which has eXtreme'fleXibility in use. While oneembodiment of the invention has for purposes of illustration been particularly described it is to be understood that the invention may have various other embodiments within joined claims.

hat I claim is: Y

1. Strand winding apparatus comprising a plurality of winding spindles arranged in 'a gang, rotating means for said spindles, means for regulating the torque exerted by said rotating means on said spindles,means for individually adjusting said regulating means for individual unit-s, and means for collectively adjusting said regulating means for all the units of a gang.

2. Strand winding apparatus comprising a plurality of winding spindles arranged in a gang, rotating means for said spindles, means for regulating the torque exerted by said rotating means on said spindles, means for individually adjusting said regulating means for individual units. and means for collectively adjusting said regulating means for all the units of a gang, means comprising a turnable member provided with gear teeth, a worm meshing with said member, a rod supporting a plurality of said worms between axially spaced collars, means to secure saidworms in circumferentially adjusted positions on said rod, and means to move and hold said rod and all of said worms thereon in various positions.

3. Strand winding apparatus, comprising in combination, a rotatable spindle adapted to wind in or pay out a strand to a device which imparts a predetermined uniform velocity to the strand, driving means connected to said spindle, means for regulating the torque of said driving means, and a speed governed brake device acting upon said torque-regulating means.

4. Strand winding apparatus, comprising in combination, a rotatable spindle adapted to Wind in or pay out a strand to a device which imparts a predetermined uniform velocity to the strand, driving means connected tosaid spindle, and centrifugal means for stopping said spindle when the strand breaks.

5. Apparatus for winding light strands into rolls comprising in combination, a spindle for winding a strand, resiliently propelling motive means for actuating said spindle, means for controlling said motive means to regulate the tension placed on the strand, and means for automatically stopping said spindle when the strand breaks, said stop means including a centrifugally operated brake adapted to lock when operated but permitting frictional rotation of the spindle subsequent to the locking action to prevent breakage of the apparatus.

the-scope the' sub- 6, lVinding apparatus comprising in comsaid adjusting I 4. woem bination, a spindle, pneumatic means for rotating said spindle, and means for automatically stopping said spindle when it reaches a predetermined speed, said stop 15 means including a braking device and a locking device rota-table relative to each other androtatable on the spindle, frictional means urging the braking device to rotate with the spindle, frictional means urging the locking 39 .dex ice to rotate with the spindle, said latter frictional means being stronger than the former, and means for initially arresting the rotation of said braking device when the spindle reaches a predetermined speed.

i5 In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this 13th day of June 1929. c

CHARLES E. TRAXEL. 

